What about the concept of a Godly Nation???

Three Kings of Judah

In the Old Testament book of 2 Kings there is a story of righteousness and evil and the consequences of both on the nation of Judah. This story deals with four generations of Kings. It begins in chapter 20. Let me give you a synopsis.

There was a godly king named Hezekiah, he became terminally ill and God sent word for him to prepare to die. The king appealed to God with tears and God took pity on him and gave him 15 more years of life. During those 15 years the king father a son name Manasseh.

Manasseh was a very evil king and he reigned 55 years - giving him plenty of time to do all sort of evil things. He even sacrificed one of his very own sons on an altar (which was a pagan ritual). Manasseh had a grandson name Josiah who became king when he was just 8 years old.

Now Josiah decided early on to lead Judah back to the ways of God. He chose as a teenager to rebuild the temple of God and in doing so discovered a long forgotten copy of God's law. When he read it he immediately realized how far his country had strayed from God's desires and he set out to make things right. He led the people to recommit their country and their lives back to God - which they did.

What can we learn from the story.

God is immutable and his character will never change, but he can and will change his mind. His perfect will was for King Hezekiah to die, but when the king cried out for mercy God went with his permissive will and let the king live for 15 more years. Now God allowed the king to live knowing full well that Manasseh would be born and lead the county into terrible evil.

God judges nations when their leaders are evil and then subsequently the people become evil. God declares in chapter 21 verse 12, "(because of evil King Manasseh), I am going to bring such disaster on Jerusalem and Judah that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle."

God honors and protects those who humble themselves and seek his face. He told Josiah in chapter 22 verses 19 & 20: "Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the Lord …… your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place"

God is capable of changing his mind but that does not mean he always will. In chapter 23 verses 25 & 26 the Bible states: "Neither before nor after Josiah was there a King like him who turned to the Lord as he did with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his strength, ---- Nevertheless, the Lord did not turn away from the heat of this fierce anger, which burned against Judah because of all that Manasseh had done to provoke him to anger."

What are the implications for the United States?

God only tolerates evil for so long.
God does respond when people humble themselves and seek his face.
God may chose to relent and not bring destruction on an evil nation, if they humble themselves and seek his face, or he may chose to delay the destruction for the sake of those love him.

FROM THE SUBLIME TO THE SILLY

CHILDREN'S LETTERS TO GOD

(From John Locher)

These letters are from a book called "Children's Letters to God" compiled by Stuart Hample and Eric Marshall. The book is cute because the letters are printed in the children's own handwriting. This list tries to capture as much as possible from the letters including grammar and punctuation. Hope you enjoy it.

PUZZLEMENTS, DILEMMAS, AND OTHER IMPONDERABLES

Dear God,

In Sunday School they told us what you do. Who does it when you are on vacation? Jane

How did you Know you were God? Charlene

Dear God.

Are you really invisible or is that just a trick. Lucy

Dear God,

Is it true my father Won't get in Heaven if he uses his Bowling Words in the house? Anita

Dear God,

Did you mean for giraffe to look like that or was it an accident. Norma

Dear God,

Who draws the lines around the countries? Nan

Dear God

I like the Lords prayer best of all. Did you have to write it a lot or did you get it right the first time? I have to write everything I ever write over again. Lois

Dear God,

I would like to know why all the things you said Are in red? Joanne

Dear God

What does it mean you are a jealous God. I thought you had everything. Jane

Did You Really Mean Do Unto Others As They Do UNTO You, Because If You Did Then I'm Going to fix My Brother. Darla

Dear God,

I know all about where babies come from. I think. From inside mommies and daddies put them there.

Where were they before that? Do you have them all in heaven? How do they get down here? Do you have to take care of them all first. Please answer all my questions. I always think of you. Your truly Susan

FERVENT WISHES, SUGGESTIONS, AND COMPLAINTS

Dear God,

Thank you for the baby brother but what I prayed for was a puppy Joyce

Please send me pony I never ask for anything before you can Look it up Bruce

Dear God,

My brother is a rat. You should give him a tail. Ha. ha.Danny

Dear God,

Please send Dennis Clark to a different camp this year. Peter

Dear God,

Dear God

Maybe Cain and Abel would not kill each so much if they had their own rooms. It works with my brother.

Larry

Dear God,

I want to be just like my Daddy when I get big but not with so much hair all over. Sam

APPROVALS, CONFIDENCES, AND THANKS

You don't have to worry about me. I always look both ways Dean

Dear God,

I think the stapler is one of your greatest invention Ruth M.

Dear God,

I think about you somtimes even when I'm not praying Elliott

Dear God,

I bet it is very hard. for you to love all of everybody in the whole world There are only 4 people in our family and I can never do it. Nan

Dear God,

My brother told me about being born but it doesn't sound right. Marsha

Dear God,

If you watch in Church on Sunday I will show you my new shoes Mickey D.

Dear God

I don't ever feel alone since I found out about you. Nora

Dear God,

I do not think anybody could be a better God. Well I just want you to know but I am not just saying that because you are God. Charles

Dear God,

I didn't think orange went with purple until I saw the sunset you made on Tue. That was cool.

Eugene

Dear God,

I am doing the best I can.

A TRUE STORY OUT OF SAN FRANCISCO??:

(sent in by Duane Williams)

It seems a man, wanting to rob a downtown Bank of America, walked into the branch and wrote "This iz a stikkup. Put all your muny in this bag." While standing in line, waiting to give his note to the teller, he began to worry that someone had seen him write the note and might call the police before he reached the teller window. So he left the Bank of America and crossed the street to Wells Fargo. After waiting a few minutes in line, he handed his note to the Wells Fargo teller. She read it and, surmising from his spelling errors that he was not the brightest light in the harbor, told him that she could not accept his stick up note because it was written on a Bank of America deposit slip and that he would either have to fill out a Wells Fargo deposit slip or go back to Bank of America. Looking somewhat defeated, the man said "OK" and left the Wells Fargo. The Wells Fargo teller then called the police who arrested the man a few minutes later, as he was waiting in line back at the Bank of America.

THE CORNY ONES (FROM ERIC KRIBY)

Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak were chilly, but when they lit a fire in the craft it sank -- proving once and for all that you can't have your kayak and heat it, too.

Two boll weevils grew up in South Carolina. One went to Hollywood and became a famous actor. The other stayed behind in the cotton fields and never amounted to much. The second one, naturally, became known as the lesser of two weevils.

This guy goes into a restaurant for a Christmas breakfast while in his home town for the holidays. After looking over the menu he says, "I'll just have the eggs benedict." His order comes a while later and it's served on a huge fancy chrome plate. He asks the waiter, "What's with the fancy plate?" The waiter replies, "There's no plate like chrome for the hollandaise!"

Very early one morning two birds are sitting at the side of a large puddle of oil. They see a worm on the other side. So... the one flies over and the other one swims through -- which one gets to the worm first?

The one who swam, of course, because "Da oily boid gets da woim."

When she told me I was average she was just being mean.

A neutron goes into a bar and asks the bartender, "How much for a beer?"

The bartender replies, "For you, no charge."

Two molecules are walking down the street and they run in to each other. One says to the other, "Are you all right?"

"No, I lost an electron!"

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive!"

Did you hear about the Buddhist who refused his dentist's novocain during root canal work?

He wanted to transcend dental medication.

FINAL WORD FROM KEN

If you made it to the bottom of this tome you are a better person than I am. Have a great week. God Bless - Ken